1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic water filling assembly for ice trays which eliminates the necessity for the removal of individual trays from a freezer or like reduced temperature environment for filling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of ice trays to form ice cubes is of course well known and in wide use throughout the world. Typically, individual trays are placed in the freezer portion of a refrigerator once they are filled with water. Sufficient time is allowed to elapse with the result that ice cubes are formed in each of the forming cavities of the trays. Typically, after the ice has been used or removed from a given tray, it is removed from the refrigerator, carried to a spigot, sink or the like, filled and then returned to the refrigerator for freezing. Filling of ice trays is not only a tedious task but is also time consuming when one considers the care that has to be taken to avoid spillage when returning the filled ice tray from the sink to the refrigerator. These are probably some of the factors which account for many of the continually empty ice trays to be found in domestic refrigerators. While advancements in the prior art have, in some cases, eliminated the necessity of filling numerous ice trays, such solutions have generally led to the production and use of automatic, electrically powered ice makers. While functional, such ice makers are generally considered to be expensive and in certain instances plagued with maintenance problems.
Accordingly, there is a need for an automatic ice tray filling mechanism which will overcome the above set forth problems relating to the task of filling such trays and further wherein such a preferred automatic filling assembly can be positioned and maintained intact on the interior of the freezer portion of the refrigerator for prolonged and continued use. Such a mechanism should preferably be inexpensive for purchase by the consumer and effectively be maintenance free and further be capable of having a long operable life under what may be considered harsh operating conditions.
The prior art does include molding or forming containers for ice cubes. Such devices are represented in the following United States Patents.
Daenen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,526, discloses an ice cube making apparatus and serving system including a plurality of separate freezing compartments for forming ice cubes and incorporating a liquid drain arrangement so that excess water may be removed from the freezing compartments before the tray is transferred to the freezer.
Bowers, U.S. Pat. No. 1,229,873, discloses a multiple mold which may be filled successively through gravity flow from an uppermost molding chamber to a lower most molding chamber. While gravity flow and the automatic filling of multiple chambers are disclosed, such structure is not directed to the filling of ice trays.
Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 1,971,664, discloses an ice tray having a first and second depth of forming cavities separated by an apertured plate wherein the lower most plurality of forming chambers are filled first by applying a water supply to the uppermost series of chambers.
Price, U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,389, discloses an ice mold in the form of a closed chamber.
While the above set forth structures are representative of at least minimal attempts by the prior art to accomplish filling of ice forming devices in some unique fashion, such devices do not generally overcome the problems as set forth above.